Who is the Faithful and Wise Servant?

Jesus Asks a Riddle in Matthew 24:45

Answer: JOSEPH in Egypt (Genesis 37–50)

Significance of the Riddle for Us

Sheep and Goat Parable

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes."
--- Matthew 24:45-46

"If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,"
--- Proverbs 25:21

"For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;"
--- Matthew 25:35

"Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come."
--- 1 Corinthians 10:11

In Matthew 24, the Olivet Discourse, Jesus is giving end-time understanding to the disciples and to us. And in the middle of His teaching about end times, Jesus inserts a riddle, "Who then is the faithful and wise servant..."
The answer, of course, is Joseph who was betrayed and sold into slavery by his brothers.

This is a riddle that most do not fully understand.
Almost all commentaries on this verse say that the "food" is spiritual (which is true) but most miss:
1. its end-time relevance
2. it is also physical food

This riddle contains crucial end-time instructions for us.
We need to follow Joseph's example as a faithful and wise servant.

Jesus had already explained that in the end times there would be famines. (Matthew 24:7)

When the third seal is broken in the Book of Revelation, a rider on a black horse appears, holding a pair of scales, signifying widespread famine where people will have to work a full day to buy a small amount of food, representing the extreme scarcity of basic necessities.

After the third seal, economic hardship and poverty comes upon the world and lasts the duration of the tribulation:
"When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, 'Come!' And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine!"
--- Revelation 6:5-6

And when the fourth horse comes, we also see famines:
"When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, 'Come!' And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth."
--- Revelation 6:7-8

And after the fall of Mystery Babylon, the first end-time world government, the Bible speaks more of death and famines:
(Mystery Babylon only last 2-3 years and then the Antichrist comes to power)
For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her."
--- Revelation 18:8

Famines are coming.
And they are one reason people take the mark of the beast.

We need to become, like Jesus suggests, a faithful and wise servant. We need to become a Joseph.
We need to prepare by storing up food and supplies to distribute to those in need during the end-times famines.

Not to hoard food but to share, just like the boy with "five barley loaves and two fish" in John 6:8-11 when Jesus fed the 5000. And when we share, like the young boy, God will do a miracle in the last days to feed believers.

We are told in Revelation, after the 3rd seal, in the letter to Pergamum, that the Lord will provide hidden manna for us for those who overcome in the last days:
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it."
--- Revelation 2:17

Overcoming is a very, very important concept.
Click Here to learn more about how to "overcome" in the last days.

The end time famines are not unlike what Egypt faced when Joseph was a slave.
God used Joseph to save his family and the world by storing and distributing food to be used in the famine years.
In the end times, God will use us to do the same.

Begin now to store provisions to help those in need during the end times.
Not to hoard for yourself but to freely give to others.

And even though his brothers had betrayed him, at the appropriate time, he provided them with food.
And in the last days, we will be called to store and give food even to those who betray us.
"..if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink..." --- Romans 12:20

And look carefully at the sheep and goat parable about feeding your enemy:
(We know this is an end time parable by its position in scripture)

"For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;"
--- Matthew 25:35

And of course, feeding our brothers in Christ and our enemies extends to also giving them spiritual food.
We are called to give our "testimony" in the end times and to "witness" to others, even our enemies.

For more on "Witnessing" in the end times, Click Here
For more on "Keeping Our Testimony" in the end times, Click Here